Only about 13 percent of migrants staying in Russia have work permits

February 21, 2012, 11:58 UTC+3Out of over 9.5 million foreign citizens staying in Russia only about 13 percent have work permits

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MOSCOW, February 21 (Itar-Tass) —— Out of over 9.5 million foreign citizens staying in Russia only about 13 percent have work permits, automated information system of Russia’s federal migration service reports.

Konstantin Romodanovsky, the head of the service, presented the system on Tuesday during a visiting meeting of the Federation Council’s committee on social policy.

The information in the presentation referred to February 20. On that day, there were slightly over 9.588 million foreigners in Russia. Out of them, 41 percent /over 3.9 million/ are not labour migrants, but tourists, etc.

“They are those who arrived to study, to receive treatment, for a visit – thus for different from work purposes,” Romodanovsky explained.

Meanwhile, only 13 percent of foreigners /over 1.2 million people/ have a right to work, while the remaining 46 percent /almost 4.5 million/ are “potential workers, but without a work permit or a patent.”

“This is the risk group,” he said, explaining that about 3.4-3.5 million of them stay in the country for over three months, which means that most likely they are working illegally, or they would not be able to stay here for so long.

Romodanovsky said that over past four years the migration flows have stabilized, and the number of foreigners arriving in the country has not been changing for years.

According to the automated information system, the highest immigration rate is registered now in the Kaluga Region and in Chukotka. While the leading role of the region neighboring Moscow /the Kaluga Region/ may be explained by “developed industry and big construction of many objects,” Chukotka has become a leader due to small population there.

In Moscow, most foreigners are registered in the districts of Izmailovo, Bassmanny, Tagansky, Yakimanka and Ostankino.